Hinge construction



Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,837

. J. J. MURPHY v HINGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 22, 1925 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES JERE J. MURPHY, F NAUGATUCK, CONNEGTICUT.

HINGE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed October 22, 1925. Serial No. 64,112.

This invention relates to hinges, and more particularly to a combined hinge and door bracing member especially adapted for use on downwardly swinging doors.

One object of this invention is to provide a device of the above nature having a door bracing member pivoted to the movable plate of the hinge for supporting the door as a shelf in an intermediate horizontal po- 1 sition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to manipulate and install,

compact, ornamental in appearance, and very eilicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on drawings one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

Fig. 1 represents a side sectional view upon a reduced scale of a refrigerator door and easing having the improved form of hinge construct-ion applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is afront view of the same, also shown on a reduced scale. f

Fig. 3 is a side viewof the hinge construction and a portion ofthe door and easing, the .door being shown in horizontal position for use as a shelf.

Fig. 4 is a top View of the hinge construction.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates a stationary hinge member adapted to be held in flat face contact with a refrigerator casing 11 by means of screws 12. The stationary member is provided near its lower end with a substantially triangular lug 13 having an upper cylindrical concave portion 14 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The top of the stationary member l0 is provided with three a-lined substantially circular hinge lugs 15 which are adapted to support a horizontal pintle 16 for pivotally connecting said stationary hinge member 10 to amovable hinge member 17. The movable member 17 has a pair of alined hinge lugs 18 adapted to surround the pintle 16 and being similar to the lugs 15.

The movable hinge member 17 is adapted to be secured in flat face contact to the door 19, as of a refrigerator, in any suitable manner as by screws 20.

the accompanying In order to form a pivotal support for a brace arm 21, the'movable hingemember has a. pair of outwardly extending lugs 22, said lugs serving as a bearing for a pintle 23 upon which one end of the brace arm 21 is mounted. The brace arm 21 is preferably cylindrical in crosssection and has a spherical end 24 adapted to seat in the cylindrical recess 14, previously described. The pivot end of the brace arm 21 is provided with a pair of flat edges 25 and 26 disposed at an angle to each other as will be seen by reference'to Fig. 3. The upper side of the movable hinge member is'provided with a shallow rectangular recess 27 within which is seated a leaf spring, 28, said leaf spring being held in position by a pair of oppositely extending clips 29 and having a curved extremity 29 extending outwardly through between the lugs21.

By means of this construction it willbe seen that the free end 2 9 of the spring will constantly pressagainst the pivot end of the brace arm and will hold said brace arm either alongside the movable hinge member as shown in Fig. 1, or at right angles thereto. When the bracear nis in the first position, the opening of the door 19 will cause thebraee arm to slide over the lug 15 and move to the position shown in Fig. 3 where the end of the brace arm will seat in the lug 1*3 of the stationary hinge member. In this position the door 25 man be strongly supported in horizontal position and maybe used as a shelf.

When the brace member is in the second position, the opening of the door will perinit the brace member to pass over the lug 13 and allow the door to swing down past the intermediate horizontal position to the lower vertical position shown in Fig. 1.

"While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the in vention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the inven tion includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims. 1

Having thus fully described the invention 6 til anarrow aperture 30 what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

1. In a combined hinge and door brace for a downwardly swinging door, a stationary hinge member for attachment to a casing, a movable hinge member for attachment to said door, a brace arm pivoted to said movable hinge member, and means on said stationary hinge member to support the free end of said brace arm to hold the door in horizontal position as a shelf, said movable hinge member having a leaf spring for pressing against the pivoted end of said arm to hold said arm either alongside said movable member or at right angles thereto.

:2. In a combined hinge and door brace for a downwardly swinging door, a stationary hinge member for attachment to a casing, a movable hinge member for attachment to said door, a brace arm pivoted to said movable hinge member, means on said stationary hinge member to support the free end oi said brace arm to hold the door in horizontal position as a shell, the pivoted end of said arm having a pair of angularly disposed edges, and a spring on said movable member for i1 terchangeably engaging said edges to maintain said arm either al0ngs;de said movable member or at right angles thereto.

3. In a combined hinge and door brace for a downwardly swinging door, a stationary hinge member for attachment to acasing, a movable hinge member for attachment to said door, a brace arm pivoted to said movable hinge member, means on said stationary hinge member to support the free end of said brace arm to hold the door in horizontal position as a shelf, the pivoted end of said arm having a pair of angularly disposed edges, and a spring passing through said movable member for interchangeable engagement with saidedges to maintain said arm either alongside said movable member or at right angles thereto.

4. In a combined hinge and door brace for a downwardly swinging door, stationary and movable hinge members pivotally connected together, a brace arm connected to said movable hinge member, spring means on said movable member to hold said arm elther alongside said movable member or at right angles thereto, means on said stationary hinge member to form a seat to engage the free end 0t said arm when the arm is originally positioned alongside said movable hinge member, whereby the door will be held horizontally as a Shelf, said door being adapted to be swung down vertically alongside said stationary member.

In a combined hinge and door brace for a downwardly swinging door, stationary and movable hinge members pivotally connected together, a brace arm connected to said movable hinge member, a leaf spring on said movable member to hold said arm in either of two positions, means on said stationary hinge member to form a seat for the iiree end of said arm when the door is opened with the brace arm in one of its positions, whereby the door will be rigidly supported to form a horizontal shell, said door being adapted to swing down vertically into wide-open position when the arm is in the second of its positions.

U. In a combined hinge and door brace for a downwardly swinging door, stationary and movable hinge members pivotally connected together, a brace arm pivoted to said movable hinge member near the free end thereof, spring means on said movable member to hold said arm in either of two positions, means on said stationary hinge member to form a seat for the free end of said arm when the door is opened with the brace arm in one 01'' its positions, whereby the door will be rigidly supported to form a horizontal shelf, said door being adapted to swing down vertically into wide-open position when the arm is in the second of its positions.

In testimony whereof, I have allixed my signature to this specification.

JERE J. MURPHY.

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